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While your company likely can't afford to advertise during the
Super Bowl -- a 30 second commercial cost nearly $4 million,
small-business owners can learn some valuable marketing
lessons from the game's most successful ads.

"Super Bowl commercials teach entrepreneurs two things: the art
of getting your message down to 30 seconds and the art of
creating an enticing narrative," says Matt Eventoff, founder of
Princeton Public Speaking, a New
Jersey-based firm that specializes in message development
strategy. "Small-business owners should watch the ads again
and take notes; the ideas might prompt new ways to think about
their own marketing."

Here's a look at five memorable ads from Super Bowl XLVII and
what small-business owners can learn from them:

One of the night's most effective ads was Budweiser's
"Brotherhood," which featured a horse trainer raising one of
Budweiser's famous Clydesdales, and then reuniting with him
three years later. Eventoff says the moving commercial prompted
viewers to do what business owners hope they'll do: remember,
share and act.

"The commercial had a direct call to action, using its Twitter
campaign with the hashtag #clydesdales to name a baby
Clydesdale," he says. The ad aimed to connect with people
emotionally and gave Budweiser a way to connect their
customers.

If your competitors are all using the same marketing tactic,
smart business owners take an opposite approach, says Gauri
Sharma, CEO of Chicago market research firm Lab42.

"Because it's the Super Bowl, some brands push the envelope
trying to be funny, maybe to the point of absurd," says Sharma.
"As a result, poignant commercials come across in a better
light. Not only that, but Dodge Ram's "Farmer," ad touched on
core American values that resonate with viewers."

Eventoff says his favorite ad was the Best Buy commercial
staring Amy Poehler; it was a good example of how to highlight
your unique selling proposition in your marketing.

"The commercial effectively utilized humor to drive one
constant point home: Best Buy's commitment to customer
service," he says. "In a world where Best Buy has to compete
with online competitors, the ad effectively reinforced the
value of real people helping you."

When the power went out during the Super Bowl, Oreo immediately
reacted and proved you can get noticed in other mediums, says
Sharma.

"Although Oreo did advertise during the Super Bowl and were
already top of mind for consumers, they took it one step
further with a social media push on Twitter that received over
15,000 retweets," she says. "This 'free' tactic generated more
conversations for the brand than its $3.8 million spot. It was
all possible because key decision makers were available and
ready to turn on a dime when the opportunity arose to extend
their brand presence beyond their commercial."

With brands and agencies preparing for months leading up to the
Super Bowl, incorporating timely messaging can be challenging.

"Tide's 'Montana Stain' was unexpected as it catered
specifically to the teams playing," says Sharma, who named the
spot as her favorite. "It was a smart way to grab the attention
of both teams' fans. Most importantly, Tide made it easy to
remember it was their ad."